DETROIT – An “Arctic outbreak” could bring dangerously cold wind chill temperatures and even cause school closings in Metro Detroit next week.
What is an ‘Arctic outbreak’?
Arctic outbreaks are extremely cold air masses that normally originate in the Siberian region of Asia. They cross over the North Pole into Canada and push south and east into the United States.
Timeline of dangerously cold temperatures
Southeast Michigan will start seeing dangerously cold temperatures Sunday night into Monday morning next week.
It appears the worst stretch of temperatures will be Monday night into Tuesday morning.
Around 8 a.m. Tuesday, it’s possible wind chills could be 20-30 degrees below zero.
Possible school closings
There’s a chance some schools could be affected Tuesday, coming out of the three-day weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
If wind chill temperatures are as low as expected, schools around Southeast Michigan could decide to close Tuesday.
It’s also possible some schools could cancel outside recess or other activities due to the temperatures.
Watches, warnings, and advisories
The National Weather Service consolidated some of its severe weather alerts for cold temperatures.
If wind chill temperatures are in the range of -15 to -24 degrees, a cold weather advisory will be activated.
An extreme cold watch or warning is for wind chill temperatures colder than -24 degrees. A watch would be issued if those conditions are possible, and a warning would ensue if those conditions come to fruition.